Vol. LXXXVII, No. 1.5 DEERFIELD ACADEMY, DEERFIELD, MA 01342 May 10, 2012

By JAMES CHUNGStaff Writer

Students of the new springelective,ClassicsSeminar,analyzeancient literature to understandthe horrors of war, such as theeffects of post-traumatic stressdisorder and other forms of traumainthelivesof soldiers.Samuel Savage, the teacher

of thecourse,described itas“away of connecting intellectualworkthatstudentshavedoneatDeerfieldtoarealworldissue.”

By STUART BICKNELLContributing Writer

We’ve all heard of post-traumatic stress disorder,PTSD. But what exactly is it?The experience of trauma is,unfortunately, all too commoneven in these relatively safeand peaceful United States.Automobile accidents, violence,abuse,untimelydeathof alovedone—allcanbetraumatic.What distinguishes PTSD

from other trauma is thelingering,intrusivenatureof it.Itseemstotakeonalifeof itsown.Flashbacks and nightmares

andatriggeringsightorsoundorsmell can plunge the individualbackintoaterribleandterrifyingre-experiencing of the earliertrauma. The traumatized soldiercan shut down and withdrawor become hyper-vigilant andover responsive. The stereotypeof the traumatized combatveteranincludesapersonwithahair-trigger temper, easily over-stimulatedandhighlyreactivetohisenvironment.Butveteransalsocomehome,

even from a broader “theaterof war,” with more subtlesymptomsthatincludeavoidanceandnumbing.Forthesesoldiers,thatsuitof emotionalarmorwasessentialinprotectingthemfromthe intense emotions stirred upbythethreattolifeandpresenceof death.Oncehome,itbecomesa severe and heavy handicap.When you can’t feel pain, youalsocan’tfeelloveandpleasure.Today’s soldiers return from

overseasdutytoarelativelywarmwelcome.Wemay object to thewar—but embrace the soldier.In my experience, there wasno “Welcome Home” comingback from Vietnam. The anti-war movement was raging, andvery fewof uswere advertising

By CAMERON CARPENTER

Staff Writer

Students, teachers, localresidents and veterans will havethe opportunity to attend thefirsthighschoolperformanceof Theater of War, by the theatricalgroup Outside the Wire, whichperforms selections fromSophocles’ war dramas, AjaxandPhiloctetes,tobringawarenessof soldiers dealing with post-traumaticstressdisorder.The performance will

showcase four actors, alongwith students from the ClassicsSeminar,anewspringelective.A panel of three audience

members and one studentwill share their reactions tothe performance. The studentpanelist will be Jordan Jancze’13, whose mother is deployedoverseas.Jancze explained the

significance of being able toseeTheater of War. “I obviouslycannot read my mother’s mindwhensheisdeployed,soIthinkitwill be interesting to see howthesoldierreacts.”Adiscussionamongaudience

members will follow, led bydirector and founder of thegroupBryanDoerries.Veteransfromthesurrounding

areas have been invited to theperformance and discussion toshare firsthand experience andinsightintotheplays.Classics Seminar teacher

Samuel Savage explained howseeing these issues portrayed inaformof artcouldbeacopingmechanismforveterans.“Peoplewho have seenwhat

they’ve seen have a really hardtime reachingout. It is adeeplypersonalwoundandmostpeoplecannot relate.Beingwith otherswho have experienced similarthings can give you somethingoutside of yourself to talkabout,”saidMr.Savage.Mr. Savage and Latin

teacher John Burke attended aperformance of Theater of War earlierintheyear.“Itwasdeeply

moving, even mind blowing tohear people connect with playsthatarenotatallfarfromreality,”Mr.Savagesaid.Designing the curriculum for

theClassicsSeminar,Mr.Savagewanted to incorporate ancientdrama. He contacted Outsidethe Wire this past summer.The group helped shape thecurriculum of the elective andwanted to perform at Deerfieldasapartof it.Dr. Burke explained that,

for the students of the ClassicsSeminar, “this is a greatopportunity to see how Classicsand Classical literature is beingapplied to modern issues andproblems.Ithinkitisfascinatingthat ancient literature can havesomething to say about a verymodernproblem.”

WAR’SWORSTMEMORIESENACTEDClassicsSeminarLooksatAncient,ModernWarTraumasAFTER SHOCK

WhentheBattleisOver

ourmilitary service.We felt outof synchwithourpeers, deeplydistrustful, and profoundlyprivateaboutourwarexperience.Many of us felt ashamed of our participation in a cause wedidn’t believe in. As a graduatestudent in a university setting,nobody wanted to hear—orwould believe—that I’d spent ayearinVietnam.Itwasoddanddisorienting.Whilethiskindof shutdown

andwithdrawaldoesn’tmeetthecriteria for a true PTSD, itwas,for hundreds of thousands of non-combatveterans, the legacyof Vietnam.In1995,JonathanShayinhis

ground-breaking book, Achilles in Vietnam, wrote persuasivelythat for those returning fromcombatwithPTSD,therewouldbenosuchthingasa“returntonormal.” To be exposed to thehorrors of war is to be scarredforlife.Somedegreeof recoveryisallwecanhopefor,Shaysaid.Fortunately, there are

encouraging newer PTSDtreatment modalities that havebeendevelopingsincethen.Theresponse time to returning vetshas accelerated and follow-upprograms and treatment groupshavemultiplied.Someof today’svetsobjectto

thestigmatizingthatcomesfromcouplingthe“D”(Disorder)withthePTS.Theyarguethatit’snota disorder; it’s a predictable andunderstandable reaction to anextremely unhealthy situation(theviolenceof war).Icanappreciatetheirconcern.

The Pentagon, in response tothe thousands of traumatizedsoldiersreturningfromIraqandAfghanistan, tried to rewrite thePTSD criteria to limit eligibilityfor benefits. In a show of solidarity,veterans’organizationsand other supporters registeredsufficient outrage to force thePentagontoreconsider.That the government would

make every resource availableto support returning soldiers—medically, psychologically, andfinancially—is simply the rightthingtodo.

outsidethewirellc.com

Thisweek’sValley Advocatesaidthat “inTheater of War, combat-related psychological injury[is] viewed through the lens of Sophocles’wartimetragedies.The cast for the Deerfield

presentation had not beenannounced at press time, butprevious performances havefeatured high-profile stage andscreen actors including DavidStrathairn, Gloria Reuben, AmyRyan,andPaulGiamatti.”According to the Advocate,

“thisNewYork-basedcompany...employs classic theater worksto illuminate and stimulatediscussion on such issues asaddiction treatment...and prisonreform.”Thefreeperformancewillbe

heldonMay12, at 7:00p.m. intheGaronzikAuditorium.

“I obviously cannot read my mother’s mind

when she is deployed, so I think it will be

interesting to see how the soldier

reacts.” -Jordan Jancze

“I feel like the discussions I’m

having in this class will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

The course specificallyprepares students for Saturday’sperformanceof Theater of WarbythegroupOutsidetheWire.Thegroup conducts readings fromclassicalwarliterature.Actors aspire tofind the link

between the modern and theancient soldier, a similar goalstudentsof theClassicsSeminarhopetoachieve.“Theideaof thiscourseisto

give us a better understandingof what modern day veteransgo through. By using ancientmaterials, we are able to makeconjecturesandexploreconceptswe would feel uncomfortabletalking about in the realworld,”said Thomas Earle ’12, one of theeightseniorsinthecourse.Students of the seminar

recently visited a groupof veterans at GreenfieldCommunity College to describetheirclassandTheater of War. “The class is specifically

designed so that all studentsare able to have a culminatingexperienceintheclassroom,”Mr.Savagesaid.“IfeellikethediscussionsI’m

havinginthisclasswillstaywithmefortherestof mylife,”saidEarle.

2 The Deerfield Scroll SPORTS May 10, 2012

VOL.LXXXVII,NO.1.5 MAY10,2012

Editor-in-ChiefKRISTY HONG

Front PageCASEY BUTLER

Opinion/EditorialSAMMY HIRSHLAND

Arts & EntertainmentMIRANDA MCEVOY

FeaturesCAROLINE KJORLIEN

SportsSARAH SUTPHIN

AdvisorsSUZANNE HANNAY & JOHN PALMER

The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll encourages informed discussion of pertinent issues that concern the Academy and the world. Signed letters to the editor that express legitimate opinions are welcomed. We hold the right to edit for brevity. The Scroll is published eight times yearly. Advertising rates provided upon request.

PhotographyASHLEY SO

GraphicsTATUM MCINERNEY

OnlineJOHN LEE

Online AssociateDAVE KIM

Editorial AssociatesCHARLOTTE ALLEN

COLE HORTONTARA MURTY

EMILY NGJON VICTOR

By EMILY NGEditorial Associate

The baseball and softballteamshavenotperformedaswellastheyhaveinpreviousyears,yettheircaptainsandcoachesexpecta successful remainder of theseason. Though each team haswononlyasinglegameeach,theplayersareundeterred.Softball coaches Rebecca

Melvoin and Danielle Chagnonforesawdifficulty from the startof theseasonastheteamlackedboth size and age. “With smallnumbers, we knew we wouldhavetogetbacktothebasicsandwe were prepared for the hardworkahead,”saidMs.Melvoin.Onecauseof theteam’slosing

streak is the repetition of basicerrorsduringgames.“Some errors we are

working on include hittingmore consistently, making gooddecisionsinthebatter’sbox,andrebounding from errors in thegame,”Ms.Melvoinexplained.Junior Co-Captain Hannah

Insuik’s goal for the team is toavoidlosinggamesbythe“mercyrule,” which ends the gamebecauseoneteamisaheadbysomuch.“Iwant us toplay thewhole

game instead of losing by 15runs. I hope to make cleanerplays, keep our confidence, andavoidstrikeouts,”Insuiksaid.Nevertheless, the softball

teamisoneof mostwell-bondedoncampus.Theteam’screedistohavefunandnottakethemselvestoo seriously when makingmistakes. “Our team gets alongsowell,andthat’swhathelpsusgets through our games. We’reable to have fun because it is a

By RYAN LOGIEStaff Writer

Whentheboys’varsitylacrosseteamlostitsstartinggoalieLukeAaron’12toillness,manypeoplethoughtallwaslost.But,thatwasbefore new sophomore DavidHamiltonsteppedontothefieldandintothenet.Although Hamilton has

been thrust into the spotlight,he has taken his new-foundresponsibilityinstride.“Ithasbeengreatplayingon

the team so far. It’s definitely alot of lacrosse, playing six daysa week, and I’ve been seeing alot of shots. It’s a big step up

from the lacrosse I was playingbefore,”Hamiltonsaid.When asked his feelings

toward this opportunity,Hamilton said, “I’m excitedto get a lot more playing timethan I’vebeenused to. I’malsoexcited for all the big gameswe have coming up.” Anotherthinghecanbeexcitedabout?Aprospectivelacrossecareer.“Theplayingtimeheisseeing

nowwill pay off for him downthe road. I want him to havea great experience and be thedifference in some big games,”saidHeadCoachCharlesDavis.“As a goalie, he sees the ballvery well and throws excellent

outletpasses.Heputshisworkineveryday.”There is, however, always

room to improve. No one canhelpHamilton grasp this realitymorethanAaron.Hamiltonsaid,“It’sbeengreatplayingwithLuke[Aaron].He’s super experiencedbecause he has been on thevarsity team since his freshmanyear.I’velearnedalotfromhiminallaspectsof thegame.”So with a string of tough

gamesaheadagainstcompetitiveteams such asAvonOld FarmsandSalisbury,Hamiltonhaslargeshoestofill—andfast.But“heistough-minded and steady,” Mr.Davisadded.

HAMILTONRISESTOTHEOCCASION

By COLE FAULKNERStaff Writer

When most people think of post-graduate students, a big,brawnylacrosseplayercomestomind.Itdoesn’tevencrossmoststudents’ minds that there arefemalePGsamongstusaswell…like Tierney Griff and AlannaMcDonough.Griff enrolled this past fall

in order to play lacrosse, whileMcDonough enrolled to focusonrunning.Both girls recognize the PG

stereotype and admit that theyaredefinitelynot aswell knownaround campus as their malecounterparts.“Most people don’t even

know we’re PGs,” laughedMcDonough. Griff agreed,saying, “I was asked if I wasa freshman five times at thebeginningof school.”Griff said that even friends

from her previous high schoolwere surprised by her decisionto repeat senior year. “Back athome, Ihad toexplain that yes,Iwasgoingtohighschoolagain,andnoI’mnotaboy.Girlsdoittoo.”Neither athlete regrets thedecision to spendafifthyear inhighschool.

BASEBALL, SOFTBALL WORK FOR LATE SEASON TURN AROUND

game,andweplaytoloveit,nottowineverygame,”saidInsuik.On the Headmaster’s Field,

meanwhile, varsity baseball Co-Captain Nolan Doyle ’12 andhead coach David Irwin alsohope for a stronger end to theseason, in spite of their losingrecord.Theteamstruggledinitsfirst

fewgamesagainstotherschools.“We knew we would have

a core of strong hitters andpitchers.Thesuspectareawouldlikely be with our fielding. Wehaddifficultywiththegloves,andstruggled to put together seveninningsof cleanball,”Doylesaid.Mr. Irwin believes that the

team’slossescanbeattributedtoits difficulty in putting togetherthe three major facets of thegame: pitching, defense, andoffense. “When we get a great

pitchingouting,wecan’tseemtoscoreruns.Whenwescoreruns,wemaketoomanyerrors inthefield,”saidMr.Irwin.Mr.Irwinhopesfortheteam

togainmorefaithinitself tostaycompetitivefortheremainderof theseason.“The challenge for us is to

keep believing in the team; toknow that we are a team whowillkeepscratching,clawing,andfightingfromthefirstpitchtothelast out. No one can challengethe tenacity, perseverance, andcommitment that the team hasdisplayedthisyear,”hesaid.Doyle enthusiastically added,

“You can rest assured thatDeerfield baseball is a team ontherise.Wetookourfirstleaguevictory on April 28 againstExeter. We liked the taste of victory,butwe’restillhungry.”

However, despite theattention that boy PGs receive,McDonough and Griff confessthat they don’t mind being leftout of the limelight too much.McDonough joked, “I’d almostrathernotstandout,tobequitehonest.”InresponsetowhyDeerfield

over other high schools, Griff said, “Out of everywhere Iapplied,thiswastheoneplaceIdidn’tknowanyoneandIthoughtitwouldbeagoodexperience.”“Deerfield is pretty well

knownforreallybalancinggoodacademics and athletics andit looks good from a collegestandpoint,”McDonoughadded.McDonough, who became a

PG to switch her athletic focusfrom hockey to running, hasbeen satisfied with the level of competition she’s encounteredthisyear.“Thecrosscountryandtrack

teams here have greater depthand a few better runners thanmyoldschoolsoIhavecertainlygottenbetter.”Griff concludedwithsharing

the highlights of her year.“Playingonateamandbeinginthatpartof thecommunitywasreally fun. It has been a greatexperience.”

Caroline Ashford ’14 goes airborne as Kylie Davis ’14 looks on. Later, Davis outruns Hotchkiss player.

Ashley So

Penny Ashford

AlannaMcDonoughandTierneyGriff arecomingtotheendof theirpostgraduateyear.

PGs COME IN GIRLS’ SIZES, TOO!